


You, But Me

by DKSculder



Category: The X-Files
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Funny, MSR
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-06
Updated: 2017-04-07
Packaged: 2018-09-28 04:31:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 20,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10071590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DKSculder/pseuds/DKSculder
Summary: Dreamland Re-imagined: Mulder and Scully switch places while on another one of Mulder's excursions in Area 51.





	1. Scully

**Author's Note:**

> This is all for fun because I'm feeling in that kind of mood :)

The only sound surrounding them was the dirt being kicked back from the tires of the car. She had a puzzled expression on her face, opening and closing her mouth at a complete loss for words. He was staring ahead, in the passenger seat, because that's normally where she sat. She glanced to her right, it was where she was sitting, only it wasn't her. Her hands gripped tighter on the steering wheel, pulling over when she felt they were far enough out of the way from the government men that they just encountered. She slumped into the seat, him still not looking at her, just staring straight ahead.

"Mulder..." She said cautiously, only it wasn't her voice, but his. It sounded like when he answered the phone, that familiar tone dripping from her own mouth. His mouth.

"I don't know." She scrunched her face, did her voice really sound like that when she was worried. God, how annoying. She shook herself from her thoughts, needing to focus on the issue at hand.

"What the hell happened?"

"I just remember seeing the aircraft, and then an odd sensation, and then I saw you, but me." He explained, finally turning to look at her. At himself.

"So, essentially what you're saying, is that we are...each other? Like some freaky friday occurrence?"

"It would look that way. Scully, I can't even explain this one." It was odd for her, to see herself describe it, his words coming from her mouth.

"Maybe, everything will be back to normal tomorrow. Let's just, get back to the motel, and sleep it off." She was attempting to convince herself that that would do the trick, knowing the science of it didn't make sense. She mentally laughed to herself, the science of them switching places didn't make sense either. Their cases were getting stranger by the minute.

He simply nodded at her, still at a loss for words. She continued driving, admiring his arms as she steered through the darkness of the night, an open road ahead of them. She loved when he wore t-shirts, catching subtle glances at his hands and arms. This might not be so bad after all.

They automatically went to their respective rooms, the adjoining door remaining open. The exhaustion was beginning to wash over both of them as they got ready for bed. It wasn't until she went to use the restroom that a new realization popped into her head, very clearly noticing this wasn't her body.

"Uh, Mulder..." She stepped into the open door between their rooms, seeing herself plopped on his bed, arm resting behind his head in his normal stance. She could only imagine that he was trying to resume his normal tendencies until everything went back to the way it was supposed to be. The psychologist in him shining through his actions.

"Yeah?"

"I - we, uh...I went to use the restroom, and realized that -" She stammered, willing him to catch on to her train of thought. He shot up to a seated position, eyes widening.

"Oh."

"Right. I - uh, I mean..." She took a deep breath, composing herself to get through this with some sanity. "I think that as two people who have known each other for several years, have been partners in that time, that we can be professional and adult about this." It was a blatant lie, perhaps one of the only ones she has ever told him. Technically, she was lying to her own face, that feeling she was familiar with.

"I think I can manage that." There was a suppressed grin beginning on his lips and she wanted to slap it right off her own face. She simply nodded, excusing herself for the rest of the evening, closing the door so that only a sliver was left open.

She stood in front of the mirror, Mulder staring back at her. She wanted nothing more than a hot shower, and to crawl into bed and dream this nightmare away. Out of respect for him, she chose to undress away from the mirror, letting the hot water hit her body, his body. She couldn't help but admire his arms and his toned torso as she washed herself, with her bathroom products. She bit back the laugh that he would smell like warm vanilla.

The shower calmed her, given the situation. She realized that everything in her room had her belongings, which were going to be awkwardly small for his long, lean figure. Wrapping the towel around herself as she would, tucked just under her arms, she made her way and knocked on the adjoining door. When she heard him call back to come in, she stuck her head inside his room, feeling embarrassed.

"I - uh, need to borrow your clothes. I don't think my pajamas will quite fit." His voice sounded extremely shy and cautious, it's a tone she's rarely heard from him. But it wasn't coming from him, it was coming from her, she reminded herself.

"Right...my bag's right there on the chair. Take whatever you need." He gestured, sitting up again in the bed. She noticed that he had managed to throw on one of his t-shirts, which looked adorably large on her small figure. When this was over, she may need to find a way to steal a few of his shirts sometime soon.

She crept into the room further, still gripping the towel tightly around her. As she gathered some pajamas, a few clothes for tomorrow's flight home, she could hear a suppressed laugh coming from behind her. She turned, glaring at him, not finding anything amusing about their current predicament.

"What?" She asked annoyed.

"Nothing, it's just - that's an interesting look for me. Normally, the towel just hangs around my waist." She could feel herself blush furiously, wondering if his embarrassment was as noticeable as hers was normally. She wished him a goodnight, clutching the clothes to her body and making a quick escape to her own room.

The next morning, Scully roused with more of a headache than usual whenever Mulder dragged her out in the middle of the night on these ridiculous cases. She groaned, it sounding deeper than her normal morning voice. Her eyes widened, running to the mirror just above the desk in her room. She let out a heavy sigh, seeing those familiar hazel eyes staring back at her. His hair was doing funny things, and his sleepy eyes filled her soul with warmth. She shook the thoughts from her head, approaching the adjoining door and knocking softly. When there was no response, she pushed it open further, seeing herself sleeping on her back, her hand resting flat on her stomach, low enough to question what exactly he was doing the night before.

"Mulder." She said sternly, nudging her own body awake. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing himself staring back through tired eyes. He closed them again, sighing heavily.

"I take it your sleep suggestion didn't work." He grumbled, her voice sounding low and husky from sleep. She pouted slightly, taking in her morning appearance. Her hair always curled during the night, she had to blow it out every morning to get it in control.

"It appears not."

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, we can't go back to work like this."

"Why not? We still only really work together anyway."

"Yeah, but -"

"What? You don't trust me to uphold your glowing reputation?"

"Of course I trust you, otherwise I'd be going completely out of my mind right now if I didn't." She hissed at him, planting her hands on his hips. He laughed at the stance, seeing him acting out her emotions was more amusing than he thought it should be.

"Sorry, it's just funny to see me doing things I normally wouldn't be doing." He said lightly, responding to the glare she was shooting him. She huffed out a small laugh, realizing what he meant. She nodded, relaxing her stiff stance.

"So you just want to continue on and head home?"

"We'll have more resources when we get back, we can have the guys look into any similar occurrences that have happened near the area." He suggested, coming to stand before her. Normally, he would embrace her, and it felt awkward for her to be looking down at him. They both shared a laugh at the amusing situation.

"This is going to take some getting used to." She said, the awkwardness settling around them. She stepped closer, so that she was standing completely over him. "Am I really that short?"

"I'm going to choose against comment, seeing as you have the advantage here." He grinned, swerving from the hand that came to swat him playfully.

When they made it back to DC, there was an awkward moment of who was going to which apartment. The discussion of just switching had made an appearance, but neither felt completely comfortable with that prospect. They were sitting in the car outside of the airport, shifting uncomfortably in their seats, no words to explain their apprehensions.

"So..." He began, her voice dripping with question as his words escaped her lips.

"I don't know, Mulder." She let out a heavy sigh, feeling even more entrapped as his long frame barely fit in the passenger seat of the car.

"Until we know how long this is going to last, why don't we stop by my place, grab a few clothes and I can crash on your couch. I just think it'll be better if we are together."

"You don't think I'll need more things?"

"I'm a pretty simple guy, Scully."

"Mulder, you are a lot of things, but I would never classify you as simple." She huffed out a small laugh, causing the mock glare to shine in his eyes. Her eyes.

"I just figured that I'd need more of your things, and you can show me what half of them are." He said with a slight shrug, she laughed and nodded in agreement.

She opened her apartment as she normally would, it seeming like he was leading her inside. His things were taken to her room and settled at the foot of her bed. This entire adjustment period was confusing for them both.

"I - uh, was going to take a shower and then go to bed. I'm exhausted, it's been a long few days." She said quietly. The thought of her washing his body again was sending a warmth surging through her, but it was a more noticeable reaction in his body.

"Okay, yeah. But go easy on the body wash, Scully. I can't be walking around the bullpen smelling like warm vanilla and lavender." She laughed, only he could make her feel comfortable when she was quite literally having an out of body experience. She found a small solace in the fact that he knew her scent as well.

“You should shower in the morning, it’s easier to get my hair in control that way.”

“I don’t know, the curls are kind of cute.”

“There’s no chance in hell that I’m letting you leave my hair natural for work.” She scoffed. She realized he could do anything to her body, and there wouldn’t be anything she could do about it. They were both relieved this happened with each other, with people they trusted.

After her shower, they settled themselves on the couch, her finding it extremely hard to sit as she normally would with her feet curled under her. She was starting to really relish in the advantages of being smaller. She gave up on comfort, huffing out an annoyed breath, plopping his long legs out in front of her.

“Sorry, you get used to it after a while.” He laughed, noticing her struggle with her stance.

“I’m really starting to appreciate my height. Remind me never to take it for granted again.”

“At least sleeping on your couch will be quite roomy for me now.”

“Oh. Right. You - uh, you can sleep in the bed with me. I don’t mind.”

He froze, not knowing how to take her words. There was a slight shift in their relationship recently, their feelings being exposed through simple flirtations and innuendos, mostly on his part. She didn’t brush them off as she used to, it almost seemed like she was welcoming them.

“It’s okay, I’m used to the couch.” He said with a shrug.

“Mulder, we don’t know how long we’re stuck like this and -” She paused, giving him a sideways glance, the smirk touching the corners of his lips. “I don’t want my body to be sore from sleeping on the couch.”

“Oh, so this is more for your benefit than my well being.” She laughed at the mock glare that she watched him give her with her own eyes. Maybe they could make this work for them after all.

The next morning it was a struggle as they prepared for work, her wanting to continue in her normal morning routines, and him not doing much for her appearance. She sighed heavily as he stood at her closet, staring with a dumbfounded look as he took in her neatly organized selection.

“Here...this suit, this blouse, and -” She paused, biting her lip, giving him an amused look.

“What?”

“Have you ever walked in heels, Mulder?” She watched as her own eyes widened, desperately trying not to laugh.

“Are they necessary?”

“When you’re my height, yes. Plus, we would look even more ridiculous together if I wore flats.”

“Scully…” He whined, pouting her plump lips.

“Oh, I need to do your makeup. My makeup.” She corrected, the explanation sounding odd.

“I don’t know what’s going to be worse, actually wearing makeup, or watching myself apply it.” He groaned. She laughed at the absurdity of their situation, they were about to be even more acquainted with each other than before.

“Change and put the moisturizer to the left of the sink on and I’ll come in and do the makeup.” She instructed, shooing him away towards the bathroom with the outfit she picked out. When he emerged, he let out a heavy sigh. She picked a skirt on purpose, needing to get her kicks where she could.

“Scully, are these a must? They ride up in places that I wouldn’t even think you’re comfortable with.” He plucked at the pantyhose with his fingers, the elastic bouncing back on her leg.

“Well, usually I wear thigh-high stockings, but I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction of putting those on.”

“Wait, really?” He was intrigued and she pursed his lips to mask the smirk she knew was itching to make an appearance.

“I guess you’ll just have to find out some other way eventually.” She said mysteriously, causing him to groan slightly. There were definitely some new discoveries to be made during this. “I need to do my makeup.”

“Fine.” He resigned as she pushed herself into the bathroom. They were much tighter quarters with them both in there.

“That’s usually my line.”

“I’m just getting into character. It’s almost like an undercover operation.” The amused grin creeping on both of their faces.

She began her normal makeup routine, having to adjust how she held her brushes, since his hands were prominently larger than hers. She was meticulous about the rhythm and pattern of every brush stroke, painting her face with the subtle colors she normally displayed.

“Hey Scully…” He asked, completely enchanted by watching himself so focused, the knowledge that  it was her.

“Hmm?”

“Why do you cover your freckles, and your mole?” Her hand paused, catching his gaze, her gaze, with purpose. No one has ever asked her that before, partially because she didn’t think anyone really noticed the little things she considered flaws.

“I - uh, just felt like they made me look adolescent. When I started instructing, I felt like they saw me as an equal, and not someone with authority, so I enhanced my appearance.” She said with a shrug, dismissing the question.

“I like them.” He said a beat later, breaking the silence that fell over the room.

“Thanks.”

She finished applying her makeup, nodding in satisfaction. Their height difference was almost comical when she was barefoot, and it was a strange sensation looking down at herself. She narrowed her eyes, hands on his hips again.

“Mulder…”

“Yeah?”

“Can you always see down my shirt when you stand this close?” His eyebrow arched, her natural reflect when she was questioning him. She was thankful for her fair skin, exposing his bashfulness by the tinge of color on her own cheeks.

“I - uh, I’ve never noticed.” He said dismissively, using her small stature to his advantage and making a quick escape.

When they made their way to work, she had to bite back several laughs as he nearly rolled his ankle a few times while attempting to walk in her heels. She only started helping him when she realized it would be her eventually that would have to deal with the ramifications of any injury sustained. The heels were lost as soon as he reached his desk, him leaning back in the chair, feet on the top. He missed the first few times he attempted this move, realizing that her legs weren’t as long as his.

Their day passed uneventfully as they finished up reports and answered pointless phone calls. Mulder was right, they didn’t really converse with any of the other agents, so no one noticed anything different between them. They had practically picked up each other’s habits, working so closely for as long as they had.

“Lunch?” He finally asked, spinning around and around in his seat before stopping to face her. He was teetering from side to side like a child, awaiting her response.

“Did you even touch any of the reports?”

“I think I did...one.”

“Mulder -” She hissed, realizing it must sound odd that he would be scolding his own name. His tongue came out to wet his bottom lip, something she always did out of discomfort. Somehow he was still turned on, even seeing himself doing it, knowing it was her action. She leaned in closer, her voice lowering as much as his would allow. “That’s my name you’re signing at the bottom of those documents, please try to at least attempt to care to finish them.”

“Scully, you know I hate reports. Plus, I signed your name perfectly.” He held up the only finished report proudly, her name flawlessly scrawled on the bottom. They really had worked together too long.

“Fine, let’s go to lunch then.” She sighed in concession, pushing herself away from his desk. He felt awkward having to pick up her purse as they left. He was definitely getting in touch with his feminine side during whatever life lesson this was.

They made their way to the diner that they frequented way too often, settling into a booth in the corner, away from the crowd. Mulder had made a late night phone call to the Gunmen, asking them to research into any similar occurrences in the area. Frohike offered to help, only after he agreed to say several suggestive sentences in Scully’s voice that he could record and save for later. Mulder left that little detail out when he told her the good news.

“Have you heard anything from the guys?”

“No, they said they would call back as soon as they found something.”

“Were they surprised to hear from me, well...you, but me.”

“I think they were more confused than anything, and found it all too amusing.” She nodded, knowing the feeling. As she perused over the menu, she realized that he was eating for her, and vice versa.

“You’re eating a salad.” She said pointedly, leaving no room for argument.

“I want a burger.”

“It’s not you that’s eating the burger. You’re getting a salad.”

“Come on, Scully. I’ve already been walking around in heels all day, I had to hold your purse, and now you won’t even let me get a double bacon cheeseburger?” The whine that escaped her own lips even annoyed herself. She scrunched his face at his order, shaking her head.

“I don’t have your metabolism, I can’t just scarf down that junk and not expect it to settle in places it is definitely not welcome. But -” She said with a bright smile. “You can eat whatever you want, and I haven’t had a good, greasy burger in ages.”

She laughed as she watched her eyes narrow in her direction, jaw clenching. He couldn’t believe she was enjoying this game of who was allowed to do what. A smile appeared on his face, a million ideas popping into his mind. Two can play this game. He unbuttoned her blouse just one more notch, exposing a modest amount of cleavage. The entertainment value she was enjoying over the switch faded with the fall of her face.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“It’s getting kind of warm in here.” He feigned innocence, shrugging off the question.

“Button that back up.” She demanded, reaching over to do it herself. He leaned back, covering her own hand over the area in question, in a mock moment of modesty.

“Agent Mulder, may I remind you that we are still on the clock.” She stared back at him incredulously, was he honestly going to play this game just because she wouldn’t let him eat a cheeseburger? He was such a child sometimes.

“Agent Scully, may I remind you that your blouse is what I would consider bordering unprofessional for a federal employee.” She challenged.

“While I value your opinion on my state of dress, as well as my diet, I am perfectly capable of making these decisions on my own.” He spat back at her with perfect accuracy in her tone of voice. She was fuming, how dare he threaten her, in her own body nonetheless. She opened her mouth to argue back, the phone in his pocket stopping her short.

“Scully.” She answered automatically, annoyance clouding her better thoughts.

“Oh, I thought we called Mulder’s phone. Well, I guess we did.” Byers stammered, causing the realization to hit. Her answering his phone, with his voice, projecting her name was confusing even to her. She winced, mentally chastising herself for not being as careful as she had planned.

“Yeah, you did. I - uh…”

“It’s okay, he explained everything to us. You’ll have to excuse us, it’s just weird hearing your words, with his voice.”

“You’re telling me. Did you find anything?”

“We think so. Are you able to stop by after work?”

“Yeah, we’ll be there. Thanks again.” She said pleasantly, hanging up the phone. He looked at her expectantly, his gaze being interrupted as the waitress stopped to take their order. His gaze was averted back to her, waiting for her to say something.

“You’re not going to tell me who called me on my phone? Or where we are going to be later?”

“Well, I, Fox Mulder, received a call from an important source about some imperative information that I have been anxiously waiting to receive. You, Dana Scully, will blindly follow me on whatever this venture is, because that’s what we do.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s what got us into the mess.” Her voice sounded low, almost melancholy. She gave him a puzzled look at the shift in his demeanor.

“It was a joke, Mulder.” She tried to reassure him, seeing something deeper happening in his eyes. In her eyes.

The rest of the day, there was an awkward silence that lingered around. Other than a few exchanges about reports, he had hardly spoken since lunch. She knew there was something shadowing his mind, but she couldn’t for the life of her determine what is could possibly be.

“Nice makeup job, Mulder.” Frohike teased as they made their way into the Gunmen’s lair. He smiled, nodding subtly. She rolled her eyes, knowing there was a conversation to be had later.

“What’d you guys find?” She asked, anxiously wanting to know how soon they could get back to their normal lives. Not that she wasn’t finding small perks to this arrangement.

“It looks like there was another reported case including a bunch of teenagers who stumbled into area 51 one drunken night. Two of them claimed that they had switched bodies, but the authorities didn’t believe them. Their friends thought it was a prank, and they went on with their lives.” Langly explained.

“So, we’re just stuck like this?” She asked incredulously.

“Not exactly. They claim to have gone back to the site where it happened, and when the police followed up on their original claims, the teens had no recollection of any of the events they claimed occurred. They said they remember visiting the field, and then seeing an aircraft of sorts, and then they just went home. Their friends remember them arguing about the switch, but the people in question don’t remember a thing. The case was ultimately dropped since they didn’t care to investigate.” Byers explained carefully.

“So, you’re saying if we go back to the site, and just wait for an aircraft to fly above us and switch us back, we won’t remember switching in the first place?”

“That’s what we’re assuming, based on what happened to these kids.” Frohike chimed in. “But we would essentially remember.”

“Looks like we’re going back to Nevada.” Mulder finally chimed in, standing off to the side, sulking about the attempted joke Scully had made earlier in the day.

She thanked the Gunmen, following him out to the car. He was moody, and it was even more apparent on her own face, since she knew her expressions and stances. Their car ride was quiet all the way back to her apartment, both completely lost in their own thoughts.

“I think I’m going to grab some stuff and stay at my own place tonight.” He finally spoke, causing the furrow of her brow. He avoided her gaze, gripping onto the steering wheel tighter, feeling his own eyes staring at the side of him. “You can pick everything out.”

“What’s this about? You’ve been...different since lunch.” There wasn’t a word to explain his mood, and different didn’t even cover it, considering they weren’t even themselves at the moment. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.” She scoffed at the words, understanding now how truly annoying they were.

“I don’t think now’s the time to separate.”

She hoped she could convey as much desperation in his voice as she normally could in hers. Nothing about them separating made her feel comfortable, and he was being extremely stubborn for god knows what reason. As his next words escaped her lips, she felt the breath hitch in his throat, brow furrowing further at the implication of his sentiment.

“It’s time for you to get out of the car, Scully…”


	2. Mulder

“Mulder, stop being ridiculous.” He could tell she was annoyed, unable to locate the source of his mood change. Her words replayed over and over in his head all day, haunting him. 

“I’m sorry, I just think I need some time to figure some stuff out.” He thought that deemed a feasible response, knowing it wouldn’t satisfy her needs based on the look she was shooting him. The look on his own face. 

“Why can’t we figure it out together? You’re not the only one going through this.” She spat, diverting her gaze out the passenger window. That was her sure tell sign that she was fighting back her emotions, suppressing them as best she could. He let out a heavy sigh, resigning to her wishes. A simple nod as he put the car in park, signaling that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

They settled themselves in her apartment, sitting awkwardly side by side on her couch. He could sense the conversation itching to escape her lips. His lips. There was no explanation to his reaction of her words, other than the guilt that was shadowing every other thought that dared make an appearance in his mind. 

“I didn’t mean to bother you, with what I said.” He scrunched his face, his voice never sounding so timid and vulnerable. 

“Don’t worry about it, Scully. I’m sorry I’ve been - just ignore it.” 

“Why did you get upset?” 

“I guess the truth in your words opened up my eyes.” His words in her voice made it all too real for him. There was something about the raw expression in her tone that made him immediately sorry for any pain he’s ever caused her. 

“It was a joke, Mulder.” 

“But it wasn’t, Scully. I keep leading us on these ridiculous cases, following any source that claims to be valid, and you just follow, no questions asked. I’ve put you in too many dangerous situations unnecessarily, and yet you still feel obliged to follow my lead.” 

He let out a deep, heavy sigh, feeling as though every emotion was being released from his body. From her body. He could feel the puzzled look he was receiving, unable to meet her eyes. His eyes. The emotional outburst was unexpected, but she wouldn’t let it drop. 

“I don’t feel obligated. I’m here, because this has become my work, too.” She stated firmly. 

“I know, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean -” He began, stopping at the cold stare she was giving him. He wanted to laugh, he didn’t think his own eyebrow could arch that high. 

“I would hope we wouldn’t actually need to have this conversation.” She huffed, his arms crossing over his chest in an annoyed stance. He couldn’t hold it in any longer, laughing at the humor of watching him act out her stubbornness. She smiled, realizing what he found amusing. “Besides, I wouldn’t consider this a dangerous situation.” 

“I don’t know, it’s taking a lot in me to trust that you’re not feeling me up when I’m not looking.” 

“Oh, puh-lease. I think of the both of us, you have the least to worry about.” 

“Scully, I see how you look at me, it’s okay, you don’t have to fight it any longer.” He leered at her, getting an all too familiar eyeroll in response. Even in his body, he knew it was her in every way. 

“I wonder how that would even work. If I were to touch myself sexually, as you, but me...would that be considered masturbation, or some kind of intercourse?” He sat there, unmoving. It seemed normal for him to veer off into these topics of conversation, but knowing they were her words sent an arousal through his body. He was thanking the heavens and stars that her bodily responses weren’t as noticeable. He remained silent, taking a sip of water as she continued on with her scientific tirade. Only she could talk about this subject matter with such a doctoral detachment. “...and would the same sensations or sensitive spots on my body arouse me if I touched them on your body, or would my mind only register what you felt physically?” 

“Scully -” He groaned in a low voice in protest. If she kept this up, he would be violating every unspoken line they’ve ever drawn and throw himself on her in a matter of seconds. On himself? He really didn’t know the technicalities of how this worked. 

“It’s actually fascinating to think about. Scientifically, it’s been proven that men reach orgasm at a much faster rate than women, but with a man’s body and a woman’s mind, would I be able to sustain that statistic?” 

“Scully! Please, stop.” He pleaded almost breathily. She amazed him, how she could rattle on these thoughts as if she were giving a lecture. She noticed the unease on her own face, a recognizable expression. 

“Sorry.” She said quietly as he shifted on the couch beside her. The smirk was appearing on her lips, teasing the corners of his mouth. “Well, I’d say that answers that question.” 

“You expect me not to react to you talking about masturbation and - and...other things.” He huffed out in astonishment. 

“It just backs up the theory that the mind is a powerful tool.” His own grin was beginning to annoy him, seeing her marvelling at his state of discomfort. 

“The body can be rather persuasive as well.” He mumbled, the crossing of her arms settling in the annoyance he’s felt of a bra all day long. He twisted, attempting to let it fall back into the right places. He had determined that there were no right places, it was a constant bother. Between that and the pantyhose, he didn’t know how she did it every day. “I need to change.” 

“What, can’t handle your big girl clothes for a full day?” 

“Scully, how do you not rip off your clothes the minute you get home? The bra straps have been falling and twisting all day, and why is there a wire in here? It’s practically torture.” She bit back the laugh forming, seeing how truly annoyed he was in her clothes. There was a small amount of satisfaction in her eyes. 

“I usually ditch the work clothes for a sweater and more comfortable pants. The bra generally stays on though.” 

“Why would you do that to yourself?” 

“Because I have a partner who likes to show up unannounced, and I need to always be ready.” She mock glared at him, causing his embarrassment to shine through the red creeping on her cheeks. 

“Oh, right. Sorry. I should start calling first.” 

“It’s okay, I don’t mind.” 

“Well, now that we’ve crossed whatever this barrier is, during whatever kind of partner building exercise this is, I’d say you can forgo a bra at home now...or anything else really.” 

“Just because you’ve seen me naked, does not mean I’m going to walk around here, sans clothes, just waiting for you to show up.” She scoffed. 

“Scully, are you insinuating that I’ve been ogling you during this switch up?” He feigned a gasp, as if shocked by her accusations. 

“Oh cut the bullshit, Mulder. We’re both functioning adults, I’d like to think you don’t honestly believe I’m that dense. There are curiosities that have arised that I’m sure we both found the opportunity to explore.” 

“So you’re admitting to checking me out?” He smiled at her, wagging his eyebrows. She laughed as she watched herself act this out, shaking her head at him. 

“I admit to nothing.” He was relieved that they were able to work through this together, knowing he was allowing his own self-doubt to cloud his better judgement earlier. There was never a question in his mind that she wouldn’t be by his side through this, too. 

When they settled themselves in her bed later, their earlier discussions were still running through his mind, somehow making the bed seemingly smaller. He tossed and turned, her smaller size making it less noticeable than if it were his normal figure. He mentally laughed at the thought, he wouldn’t be in Scully’s bed if he were himself. There was a loud grunt that came from beside him, causing him to immediately stiffen. 

“Mulder, what’s wrong?” She groaned, it sounding deeper in his voice. 

“Nothing, Scully. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you. Maybe I’ll just go sleep on the couch for tonight.” He let out a heavy sigh, sitting up to escape to the living room. 

“Or you could tell me what’s on your mind.” She sat up, too, giving him her undivided attention. 

“When you asked me, if I ever wanted to get out of the car, live a normal life...were you projecting your own desires?” He kept his eyes on his hands, feeling even more exposed in her small figure, not wanting to face the truth of her words. 

“No, Mulder, is that what all this was about?” She reached for his hand, her hand, holding it for comfort. It was an odd moment for them both, they had mostly been able to avoid any physical contact, and she missed the small touches they had become accustomed to. His hand on the small of her back was missed desperately by both of them. 

“I just can’t help but feel like that’s what you should be doing, living a normal life, getting out of the damn car. You shouldn’t be following me around on the next stupid venture.” 

“I already told you that I’m here because I want to be.” 

“I know, but -” 

“No, that’s it. That’s the simple answer, Mulder.” 

“You’ve never wanted to date someone, or - or, start a family of your own? I mean I know -” He paused, it was a sensitive subject and he could tell this wasn’t a topic of conversation she wanted to get into late at night. “I’ve just taken so much away from you already, I want more for you.” 

“I think at one point, I saw myself heading in that direction, that lifestyle, but I see now it was only because I thought that’s what was expected of me. Working with you, it’s opened by eyes to so many new opportunities, and challenged me in the best way. The studies I’ve done, no one in my field can even come close to that kind of research and experience. Plus, I’d like to think you know by now that there’s more of a personal interest in this for me.” His voice was low as she said her words, wanting to emphasize the importance behind them. 

He didn’t have a response, simply nodding to acknowledge that he understood as much as his mind would allow. Whether he believed her fully, that was a different story. She was too loyal for her own good, never abandoning him or the x-files, no matter what she went through for simply being his partner. He brought their joined hands to his face, kissing the back of hers. She gave him a puzzled look, huffing out a small laugh. 

“It would feel weird to kiss my own hand.” He shrugged. 

“But in a way, you just did.” She laughed genuinely this time, both of them still trying to figure out how this worked. He loved that sound, even in his own voice, reveling in their ability to find humor in this mess. 

The next morning, they made their way to work as they normally would, him doing a lot better in her heels than the first day. Since their unit was shut down, they were both extremely bored in the office, their work seeming mundane compared to the mutants and monsters they had faced. He was balancing pencils on the end of his desk, her desk, avoiding any paperwork at all costs. He startled when a piece of paper his hit head, nearly falling out of his seat. 

“Get to work.” She hissed at him, glaring back in his direction through his own eyes. 

“I can’t focus, this paperwork all looks the same.” He whined, her lips forming a full pout. 

“We’ve only been here for two hours.” 

“That’s two hours more than I want to be here. I’d say it’s time for a break.” He smiled at her, pushing back from the desk to stand. 

“We can’t just leave whenever we want anymore, we actually report to people now.” 

“Like they’ll notice we’re even gone. Come on, Agent Mulder, live a little.” He grinned at her, gathering her belongings and heading for the door. He knew she wouldn’t trust him to wander off in her body alone. He hid down the hall, anticipating her presence. When he watched himself pass the dark corridor he was hiding in, he jumped out, scaring her. She really didn’t use her small stature for these sort of advantages enough. 

“Jesus, Mulder.” She huffed out, clutching his chest in a frightened stance. He laughed, loving the sound escaping her lips. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist.” 

“I’ll get you back for that when we switch back.” She glared at him, a playfulness shining in his own eyes. 

“Ah, see, Scully...that’s where us most likely not remembering this even happened will come in handy.” He flashed her a cheesey smile, making her roll her eyes in response. Anyone looking in on their conversation might be confused, but then again, no one paid too much attention to Mr. and Mrs. Spooky anymore. 

Their day of playing hookie was interrupted by a call from the Gunmen, asking them to stop by, a plan in mind. Both were apprehensive about returning, not knowing how they would be greeted, or if the switchback would even work. They had definitely found some upsides in this happening. 

“We have on good authority, from an anonymous inside source, that they’re testing some more flight patterns late tonight. If you can make it back out there in time, you’ll probably be able to switch back.” Langly explained. 

“We’d have to leave right away.” 

“We already booked you both on the next flight out. It leaves in about 3 hours, so you’ll have time to prepare.” Byers chimed in. “You have to remember that it’s entirely possible that you’ll not remember. Which means the time loss of a few days isn’t out of question.” 

“I guess I hadn’t thought about that.” Mulder said with a heavy sigh. Another idea popping into his head. “I’m going to slip a note in your, my pocket, to call the Gunmen before we do anything.” He began rambling on to Scully. 

“Then we can try to explain everything to you.” Frohike suggested. 

“I won’t promise that I’ll believe you, but it’s the best plan we’ve got.” She said with a small shrug. 

Their ride back to her apartment to pack their things was quiet, too many thoughts running through both of their minds. They had crossed so many unspoken lines in their relationship during this, they weren’t sure they wanted to completely forget. She was fiddling with his hands nervously in the passenger seat, staring out the window. 

“Gee, Scully, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you didn’t want to switch back.” He attempted to lighten the mood, her face only falling further. His face. 

“It’s not that, it’s just -” She let out a heavy sigh, running his hand up and down his arm for her own comfort. “I don’t want to just forget everything. I hate the feeling of not being able to control my own thoughts.” 

“It’s not guaranteed that we’ll lose our memories.” He wanted to engulf her in his arms, knowing it would be an awkward embrace with them the way they were. 

“I know, I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.” She said with a shrug as she got out of the car to make her way up to her apartment. The solemn look, even on his own face, was breaking his heart. 

While she packed up their belongings, throwing both of their clothes in one bag, he was putting a new plan into action. When she met him in the living room, he had a camcorder in his hand, causing the eyebrow to rise in question. 

“What are you doing with my camera?” 

“How do you feel about home movies?” He wagged her eyebrows at her, causing the traitorous chuckle to escape her lips. “Okay, not those kind of home movies, unfortunately.” 

“Which brings me back to...what are you doing with my camera?” 

“It’s not guaranteed that we won’t remember, so I thought it would be a good idea to send ourselves a little message, for when we get back.” He said with a small shrug. She smiled at him, stepping forward to hug him. She paused just as she was standing in front of him, looking down at herself. She wrapped his muscular arms around her small body, kissing his forehead, her forehead. It was a gesture that they both did for each other, not feeling unfamiliar, even when everything else was backwards. 

“Thank you.” 

“You can go first, I’m gonna take a quick shower before we go.” He made a brisk escape before she could say anything else. 

She let out a heavy sigh, grabbing the camcorder and sitting on her couch. It was going to be interesting for her skeptical self to see Mulder speaking, swearing it was her. She’d have to start with something that only she knew, knowing how she was. 

“Hello Dana, it’s me. Well, me, but you. I’m sure you’re confused, trust me, you wouldn’t believe this unless you were living it. Even then, I’m still having trouble coming to terms myself. You probably are wondering why Mulder is talking to you, but it’s not him. We had a little mishap during our Area 51 visit, and well…” She gestured to herself, to his body, no further explanation needed. “I can feel you rolling your eyes right now, trust me, it took a minute to adjust to this one. So I’m going to tell you something that only you would know, and if you’re watching this with Mulder, then you might want to make him leave. Unless he somehow remembers everything that’s happened, and somehow figured out there’s a freckle on the very sensitive spot on the inside of your thigh. If he does know and remember this, please hit him for me.” She paused, laughing and shaking her head. She wanted to know what discoveries he had made about her body during this time, but dared not ask. “The switch surprisingly wasn’t as horrible as you may think. We learned a lot in this short time, and it’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to keep that with us. There’s not much more to explain, just hoping you believe me...well, yourself.” She smiled into the camera, clicking it off. There were some personal things she wasn’t sure she was ready to face herself, so she just prayed for those discoveries to make an appearance again soon. 

“You just about ready to go?” He asked, stepping into the room. She opened her mouth to speak, closing it again as she took in her appearance. He had managed to throw on her favorite pair of jeans, along with a blue sweater that she frequently wore on her days off. “I hope you don’t mind, I just got dressed.” 

“No, you did good.” 

“You sound surprised.” 

“I am, a little.” She chuckled in admittance, taking in the offended look he was shooting her. 

“You wear these jeans a lot, and I know this sweater is one of your favorites.” He said simply, shrugging off the fact that he knew these small little tidbits about her. He could tell by the look on his own face that she was touched by this exchange, sometimes he surprised her. 

“I’m going to start packing up the car, give you a minute to make your home video.” She teased, before realizing the implications of her own words. Her face became elated, a mischievous gleam shining through her own eyes. “Don’t you dare. I swear, if you make me do anything -” 

“Relax, Scully. Have a little faith.” He said lightly, nudging her out the door. She groaned as she grabbed their bags, suddenly nervous to leave him alone, in her body, with a camcorder. 

He met up with her a short time later, causing puzzlement to cloud her mind. They were both people of few words when it came to personal feelings, but she was genuinely surprised that he was done so soon. Meeting her eyes, his eyes, as he approached the car, he gave a simple shrug at the silent question she was asking. Somehow, their silent communication remained in tact. 

They checked into a motel once they arrived in Nevada, Mulder checking out the rental car and picking up some food to bring back. Scully was making sure everything in their room was set up accordingly so they would have the answers they would knowingly seek as soon as they came back to their senses. There was a letter she had addressed to the both of them that said to call the Gunmen, and they would explain the best they could. She had also written a brief description of their occurrence, so they weren’t coming back blind. 

“Everything ready?” He asked, as he sauntered back into the room. 

“Yeah, I think so. I wrote us a letter to take with us, so we know to call the guys right away.” 

“We should probably head out around the same time we did last time. Try not to veer too far off from what we did before.” She nodded in agreement, peering into the bag of food he brought back from the diner down the road. He was satisfied to see her smile at the salad he bought for her. She removed the food, handing him the cheeseburger as she settled the salad in front of her. He gave her a puzzled look and she just shrugged, a smile playing on his lips. 

“You deserve it.” 

“Thanks. But don’t be surprised when my body automatically rejects healthy food.” He teased, pointing to the salad in front of her. 

“I’m going to start incorporating it more into your diet when we eat out.” 

“The best part, is that you won’t remember this little exchange.” He grinned, her wanting to slap the smile off her face, attempting to mask the one she felt creeping on his lips. 

“What if we remember everything?” 

“Well, then I’d say the bureau should really look into body switching as a new partner building exercise.” 

“I guess we’ll just have to see what happens.” 

They waited until nightfall to make their excursion out to the middle of the desert, hoping not to have the same run in as they encountered last time. It was just them, and an open road, whatever metaphor that was for their lives. He was driving, navigating to where he remembered them stopping their last visit out here. 

“Should we get out of the car?” His words had more implication, meaning behind them, than either of them were ready to face. She avoided the question in that sense, licking his lips nervously. 

“I don’t know, maybe. We were outside when it happened before.” She said, looking out the windows for any sign of movement. 

“We were also being held at gunpoint, that part I’d rather not have to experience again.” He sighed, exiting the car, her following. He knew this was a dangerous situation again, risking everything for something that wasn’t guaranteed. Though, is that what got them in this mess in the first place? He really needed to stop putting her in these situations. 

They sat on the hood of the car, leaning back on the windshield, waiting. She was pointing out different constellations, and he loved hearing her knowledge of the stars. Even in his voice, he could hear the amazement in her words. She paused as their was a low hum coming from the other side of the fence, both of them scrambling to get off the car. He went to stand beside her, reaching to hold her hand, feeling his own engulf her tiny fingers. They waited. 

There was a bright flash as a craft flew over them, both gazing straight at it, unable to move. It sped off, leaving them standing there in its wake. There were headlights beelining in their general direction from the unseen facility, breaking their moment. 

“We’ve got company.” Mulder tilted his head towards the cars barrelling through the desert towards them. He assumed the driver’s seat, Scully settling into the passenger side. He sped off until they were no longer chasing them, pulling over to catch their breath. 

He glanced over to see her bright blue eyes staring back at him, wide as she processed what they just experienced. He rested his head back, closing his eyes with a heavy sigh of relief. The plan had worked, and they switched back. He sprang forward, another thought popping into his head. He remembered. 

“Scully…” He was cautious, not knowing if he was the only one gifted with this insight. 

“Yeah?” She answered in a timid voice, puzzlement clouding her face. 

“Do - uh, do you remember?” 


	3. The Switch

She let the question mull over in her mind, did she remember? Her thoughts were sporadic, the past few days feeling like a dream. She didn’t know what he expected her to remember, and didn’t want to get into what he thought actually happened. 

“I - I don’t know.” She stared straight ahead, unable to meet his eyes. He would see the uncertainty in her gaze, knowing there was more to her answer. 

“What do you remember?” He nodded, urging, yet understanding that she was scared from what she might be recalling about their days together. 

“I remember...us, being here before.” 

“Right, what else.” 

“I don’t know.” 

“Scully…” 

“What do you want me to say, Mulder? That I actually believe that we - we...switched bodies? You expect me to just follow with whatever outlandish theory you have to explain this occurrence?” She huffed out an exasperated sigh, still unable to meet his eyes. 

“No, I would hope that you would reach that conclusion based on your firsthand experience.” He was becoming annoyed, her acting like she was the only one going through this. He was there, too. He was also more welcoming to the idea than he knew she ever would be when searching for an explanation. 

“It feels, I don’t know.” They both let out a tired sigh, neither ready to waive the white flag. The silence lingered in the car around them, both contemplating where to go from here. Memories in tow, but an odd sensation surging through both of them. “I feel like, it was a dream. I can see myself, but, through your eyes. Like I was watching my life from an outside perspective.” 

He nodded, understanding that exact sentiment. That’s quite literally what they were doing these past few days, adjusting to this newest mess that he had managed to get them in. 

“That’s essentially what happened, Scully.” 

“Should we call the guys?” 

“Do we need to? I mean, they were just the backup plan in case this didn’t work the way we had hoped.” 

“You hoped for our memories to be intact when we switched back?” She met his eyes this time. He anticipated a furrowed brow, puzzlement and a lingering question that he wasn’t ready to answer. His breath caught in his throat at the wonder in her eyes, the inquisition and familiarity of the feeling. She wanted that, too. 

“Well, yeah.” He nudged her arm. “I didn’t think the switch was too terrible.” A shadow of a smile played on her lips, a slight nod as she pursed her lips in agreeance. 

“So what do we do now?” He shrugged, not fully expecting this ill-planned adventure to work. 

“We just...go back to how things were.” If he was paying close enough attention, he could see the small glimpse of disappointment pass across her face. She wasn’t entirely sure that she wanted things to just go back to normal. 

They settled themselves into the motel room, having shared the same bed the past few nights, it seemed like a comfortable thing to do. As they laid in their own beds in the dingy, musty room, they were both at a loss for sleep. He was lying on his back, arm stretched out behind his head, staring ahead at the ceiling. He contemplated turning on the TV, but years of partnership told him that she wasn’t totally asleep either. She sighed, turning to face his bed now, seeing his eyes wide open, blinking absently at the plain white walls. 

“I can feel you thinking.” His voice boomed, low and husky with slumber. A resigned sigh escaped her lips with a breathy huff. They had really spent too much time together. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” The apology was unnecessary, they both knew he was awake, lost in his own thoughts. 

“What’s wrong, Scully?” He turned, propping himself up and leaning on his arm, facing her in a welcoming gesture for her to talk. The invitation to open her mind up to him was always there, he made sure of that. It was a rare occurrence when she obliged. He was hoping for a blue moon kind of miracle to know where her head was at about this one. 

“I don’t know, I think I’m still overwhelmed.” 

“It’s a lot to take in, what happened to us.” 

“That’s just it, I don’t know what happened to us. Or, I don’t want to believe it. But this is harder to dismiss than some of the cases we’ve encountered. I actually lived this, as you, but me.” He watched her face, running through every different emotion in her. He was relieved when she finalized her thoughts in more of a wonderment, than anger. 

“I brought the tapes with us...the ones we made for ourselves. I know we were going to wait until we got back, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have them now.” He said nonchalantly. She gazed at him like he had just revealed the secrets of the universe. She sat up in bed, crossing her legs and bringing the blanket to cover her braless chest in a moment of modesty. As if Mulder hadn’t had full access to her body for the past 48 hours. That thought brought an arousing intrigue to her mind. 

“Put them in. Please.” 

“Are you sure, Scully? We can always wait.” He began, suddenly shifting uncomfortably, remembering now what he said on his video. He really put his foot in his mouth with this one. 

“No, I want to watch them now. Maybe it’ll help me settle this, whatever it is, in my mind.” 

“Sure, Scully.” He nodded, hopping out of bed and pulling on his jeans to retrieve them from the car. She admired his toned body, clad in only his boxers. There was also no longer a question of just how big he truly was at full erection. She discovered that one during a shower. Perhaps having their memories weren’t the worst thing in the world. 

He returned inside, hooking everything up and walking backwards to plop himself on the end of his bed. The thought to sit on her bed occurred to him, but after his tape admission, he didn’t know if she would even want to share a room with him. Worst case scenario, she would file some kind of sexual harassment claim at work, and request an immediate transfer. His recording was short, to the point, and only to be seen by him...or so he thought. 

“We’ll just go in order, so yours is first.” He said carefully, pressing play on the remote in his hand. She stiffened as his face appeared on the screen. His posture was different, and his words were familiar, but not his...they were hers. Remembrance of what she said during her time alone on her couch came flushing through her, and she jolted from the bed, grabbing the remote from his hand in one swift movement. She pressed pause on the device, eyes wide as she watched that all too familiar grin tease the corners of his mouth on the screen, she knew what was coming next. 

“I - uh, maybe we should just wait until we get back.” 

“Scully, you wanted to watch the tapes. They’re already set up.” 

“I changed my mind.” She clipped back at him, causing the puzzlement to cloud his mind. 

“Well I want to watch them.” 

“I don’t.” She stepped further away from him, the remote guarded by her leg farthest from his reach. The quick glance towards the bathroom door told him that she was planning her escape, but he wasn’t going to let her get away that easily. When she met his eyes again, she knew she was caught. 

He jolted forward, wrapping his arms around her in attempt to reach for the remote. She squirmed under his embrace, saying his name sternly, but not too loud where people would question what was truly going on in there. Their faces lingered only inches apart as they playfully struggled for control. 

“I really missed having this advantage.” He said breathlessly, his arms completely engulfing her tiny frame. 

“You just gotta know how to work with what you’ve got.” She said mischievously as she managed to wiggle one arm free, extending it as far as she could away from him. He gave her an impressed nod, before snaking one arm fully around her waist, and pulling her flush against him so their chests were pressing together. The fact that he wasn’t wearing a shirt was alarmingly apparent to her senses now. His free, long arm stretched out past hers, grabbing the remote and holding it high above his head, grinning at her with an accomplished smile. 

The pout appeared on her plump lips, before the eyebrow began to rise, and the corners of her mouth began to curl upwards, a memory flashing through her mind. Mulder was ticklish. That little discovery made when she was washing herself in the shower, and nearly yelped as her loofa scrubbed the sides of his ribs. She smiled sweetly at him, feigning innocence as her once victorious hand crept up the sides of his body. He gave her a puzzled look before realizing what she was doing, and where she was inching to. His eyes widened before releasing her, stepping as far away as he could from his teasing partner. 

“Don’t you dare.” 

“I’m not doing anything, Mulder.” Her voice rose a few octaves, maintaining her purity of the situation. 

“How did you even -” He began to say, knowing how to change the power of control. “What other things did you discover about my body when I wasn’t looking, Scully? Because I learned a lot, too.” His voice dropped, to that annoyingly flirtatious tone he used for secretaries and car rental ladies when he was trying to get something he wanted. She only faltered for a moment, knowing he was trying to throw her off. She composed herself quickly, drifting towards him slowly, a gleam in her eye. 

“Do you want me to tell you…” She said carefully, stepping right in front of him. His knees hit the back of the side table that separated their beds, nowhere to go. “...or would you rather me show you?” Her voice dripping with flirtation, he was completely dumbfounded as to what to do, and extremely turned on. That was becoming apparent by the tightness building in his jeans. Before he knew it, her hand sneakily crept to his side again, hitting just the right spot to make his arm fly down in protest. She yanked the remote from his hands again, leaning in closer as his body was slouched over, face lingering before hers. “Sucker.” 

“That wasn’t nice, Scully.” He groaned, her teasing onslaught only to win the battle. Alright, he would let her have this for now. But they were watching the tapes before they left this motel room the next morning, whether she agreed or not. 

He was wired after their encounter, sleep lost on him for the rest of the evening. The early morning crept into the room, illuminating the area with a dull glow. His restless mind causing him to get out of bed, and change into his cutoff sweats, anticipating that a run would do him good. As he was tying up the laces on his sneakers, he could hear the rustle of the sheets from the bed behind him, signaling her rousing. 

“Mulder?” Her voice was sleepy, he relished in the sound. 

“Yeah, sorry. I was just going to go for a run. It’s early, go back to sleep.” 

“Mkay, be careful.” The sentiment held more meaning now, with this little shift in their relationship, or whatever this was. Normally, the tone the notion carried was one of worry for her friend, her partner. Now, it was implied that she wanted him to be careful so that he can come back safely, to her. 

After several failed minutes of attempting to fall back asleep, she finally resigned to her fate. With the room to herself, she pulled the remote from under its hiding spot, tucked away beneath her pillow, and turned on the TV. The image of him, but her, was paused in the spot that she abandoned it just a few hours prior during their spontaneous moment of late night revelations. She let out a heavy sigh, pressing pause to resume her belief in this occurrence. Even alone in the room, her cheeks warmed, rising with with color at her little secret to guarantee that it was indeed her assuring her of what happened. 

When her own self appeared on the screen, she paused it instantly, reflexively feeling like she was imposing on his own personal message, something she couldn’t share with him the night before. Curiosity winning the better of her, knowing his message was short, and she was alone for what she expected was a little time longer, she pressed play. 

“I probably won’t take much convincing that this actually happened, which is odd, coming from me.” He paused, gesturing to her appearance. “Well, you, but me. There’s not much to recover, in case these memories are lost, just…” He paused again, letting out a heavy sigh. “If she lets you get away with dragging her out on this stupid venture, nothing coming of it, just - appreciate her more, that she’s there with you. Remember that these are your crazy quests, not hers. And if you get really ballsy, ask her out on a proper date. But we’ll work on one thing at a time. Oh, and don’t mention the Frohike thing.” He finished with a sly grin teasing the corners of her own lips. 

She sat still, her hand covering her mouth in disbelief, shaking her head as if she were rejecting his words. Even after talking about it several times, her comment about getting out of the damn car was still weighing on him so heavily. He wanted her to have more, felt she deserved better. God, sometimes he was too sincere for his own good, his mind consuming his every emotion when it was filled with a new idea. 

The sound of feet swiping against the outside mat alerted her that he was back. She quickly turned off the TV, running to start the shower, as if she hasn’t just invaded his private thoughts. She mentally cursed herself for not rewinding it, hoping he wouldn’t touch the remote in the time it took her to shower. She made it quick, just in case. 

When she emerged back into the room, she had a towel wrapped around her, just under her arms. Her quick escape didn’t give much of a chance to grab a change of clothes. Embarrassed, she snuck beside him where he was pulling out his own clean clothes from their shared bag, preparing to shower himself after his run. The slight perspiration dripping from his forehead and biceps was causing a full body blush, damn her fair skin. He noticed her sideways glance in admiration of his body, the discomfort apparent by her shifting and tightening of her grip on her towel. He pretended not to notice her standing there, waiting for her to make the move. She cleared her throat, furrowing her brow as to why he was ignoring her standing there. She realized a moment later that the remote was now lying next to the bag. He had turned on the TV. 

“Mulder…” 

“Oh, hey Scully. I’m going to take a quick shower, then we can eat something before heading to the airport.” His nonchalance was unnerving, she could sense the questions in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“What are you apologizing for?” He challenged, catching her gaze, not breaking eye contact. He wanted her to say it. He wanted her to admit to watching his video while he was out, because she couldn’t handle sharing that with him. 

“I needed to watch my video, to ease my mind, really believe that this was all happening. I know it wasn’t fair to you, it just kept playing. I didn’t mean to intrude.” 

“I just don’t know why you couldn’t share that with me. I thought we - I don’t know.” He moved past her to escape to the bathroom, finding some small solace in the tiny quarters of whatever dingy motel they found themselves in this time. 

Her mind was whirling, what did he think they were moving towards exactly? What did she want to be moving towards? All of this was confusing before they spent the last few days in each other’s bodies. It’s one thing to discover any sexual natures about a partner slowly, it’s another thing to live it. She furrowed her brow, huffing out a courageous breath and dropped her towel, opening the thankfully unlocked bathroom door. 

She yanked back the curtain, startling him as he spun around to face her, hands in his hair lathering on the shampoo. His eyes were wide as he took in her state of undress, stepping into the shower, his shower, with him. Both standing before each other more exposed than they ever felt in their time together, even when they were switched. 

“Scully, what…?” 

“I want you to show me, what you learned about me the last few days.” 

“I was kidding, I would never actually -” He began to say, quickly rinsing his hair so he felt slightly less ridiculous about their current situation. 

“Because not only did I discover that you’re ticklish on your sides, but there’s a tingle that runs down your spine when I do this.” She reached forward, running her finger slowly from just below his chin, down to his chest. She watched the shiver run through his body, his erection standing more prominently at her. 

“Scully.” He groaned, breathing becoming shallow. She couldn’t honestly be playing this game right now. Maybe he should make some more admission videos sometime soon and leave them scattered around for her to find if that’s what brought this on. 

“I also learned that it feels really good, when I do this…” Her hand moved south, slowly, with feather soft strokes along his toned, wet torso. She outlined his hip, cutting in to the inner thigh, before her finger scraped just below his balls. He leaned forward, whimpering as he rested his forehead against hers. He wanted to encompass her in his entire body, bury her in his arms. He knew the minute he allowed himself to touch her, there was no going back. 

“Scully, what - what are we doing?” He whispered breathily, inhibitions lowering by the second. 

“I want you to show me, I want us to be honest about what happened during this. I don’t want to hide from it, or make you feel like I’m hiding something from you.” He leaned back enough to see the sincerity in her eyes, nodding in resignation. 

“Would you think less of my manhood if I said that I honestly didn’t want to ruin anything between us, and didn’t violate you in the ways you clearly did me. Although, I’m not complaining, I’m sure I liked it just as much the first time.” He said with a chuckle, causing the genuine puzzlement to cloud her face. 

“You - you didn’t discover anything about my body?” 

“Well, I may have cupped your breasts once or twice in the shower. I like the way they feel, and I’ve always wanted to know.” He answered sheepishly, feeling suddenly embarrassed about his confession. 

“Show me.” She licked her lips, glancing up between her lashes to meet his eyes. 

He took a step towards her again, resting his hands first on her waist, his thumbs pressing into her hips gently. She rested her hands on his biceps, needing the contact in this moment of vulnerable intimacy. His hands explored her body, his eyes tracing his movements, honing in on his destination. Just as his thumbs ran circular motions at the swell of her lower breasts, his eyes met hers again, seeing the confidence in her gaze. The minute his hands made full contact, she gasped, his thumbs now working wonders on her taut nipples. 

“What - what else?” She whispered, her eyes now closed as she absorbed every ounce of ecstasy she felt from his motions. 

“I thought about...what this would feel like…” His voice was dripping with arousal as his hand abandoned her breast to work its way south again, lower, lower. He ran his thumb over the top of her curls, the small gasp escaping her lips making him as hard as he ever thought he’s been in his life. He had never wanted someone more, and he hadn’t even indulged in a simple kiss to those plump lips just yet. He leaned in, eyeing her parted mouth, being drawn to it as her eyes followed his movements. She anticipated what was to come, knowing that once they passed this barrier, there was no going back. This was it, for both of them, whether they chose to admit it or not. 

The loud ringing coming from the bedroom made them both jump, her nearly slipping as she jumped away from him, and nearly lost her footing with nowhere to move around. He caught her before she was able to fall, a very bad idea as their bodies were accidentally pressed together, naked and wet. He released her once she caught her balance, giving her an apologetic look as he stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist to answer the incessantly ringing device. 

“Yeah, Mulder.” He answer gruffly, clearly annoyed by whoever was calling. He didn’t even bother to look. 

“Sorry, we uh, wanted to make sure everything was alright, we hadn’t heard from you guys.” Byers said carefully, sensing they were interrupting something. Mulder sighed as Scully made her way to the room, grabbing the towel she dropped on the floor before they were doing, whatever they were doing. 

“Yeah, uh, we actually still have our memories, so we didn’t think to call. It was late, I was just going to call when we got back. I - uh, gotta finish getting ready so we can make our flight, I’ll catch you guys later.” He hung up the phone quickly, ignoring Frohike’s protests. He wanted to take advantage of whatever this opportunity that Scully was giving him, and he didn’t want to waste another minute of it. 

“Was that the guys?” She asked generically, as if they weren’t just feeling each other up in the shower moments before. She was sorting through her clothes to change into for the day, removing her articles from the bag. 

“Yeah, uh, they just wanted to make sure everything went okay since we didn’t call them.” He watched her intently, Scully was always an intriguing creature, and with one wrong move, she would retreat right back into herself. 

He stayed quiet as he watched her slip her underwear on under her towel, then dropping said towel to put on her bra. He remained completely silent, relishing in the fact that she was allowing him to watch her dress. It was the most erotic thing he’s ever experienced. He gently sat on the bed, careful not to make any sudden movements. 

“What time is the flight?” She asked without looking up as she shimmied into her jeans, reaching for her sweater to pull on over her head. She brushed out any residual wrinkles, smoothing the material over her tiny waist. When she finally glanced up, she noticed that he was watching her with an intensity she’s never recalled seeing in his eyes. His gaze made her breath catch in her throat, eyes widening. “What?” 

“Come here.” He coaxed her around the bed to stand before him. She was suddenly nervous, the color rising to her cheeks as a warmth swam through her body. He was still clad with the towel around his hips, sitting on the edge of the bed. She situated herself just before him, crossing her arms in a modest stance. His hands rested themselves on her hips, pulling her forward with just the slightest of tugs. She only hesitated for a moment before letting herself lean into his body, feeling the warmth of their shared shower wafting off of him. 

“I - uh, I don’t know what that was.” She gestured to the bathroom, needing to clear the air before he began to ask questions. “I don’t know what came over me, I think I was just nervous, scared of the truth of the past few days.” 

“It’s okay, it’s understandable. I’d like to think we trust each other enough to answer any questions we may have.” 

“We do.” She nodded slightly, still not removing her arms that were crossed over her chest. 

“And I’m not complaining about your tactics for questioning either.” He chuckled, making her smile, relaxing her stance with a relieved breath. 

“I don’t know if I’m ready for more...of that.” He nodded, leaning his mouth up to kiss the side of her temple, letting her know it was okay. He wasn’t going anywhere, when she was ready, he’d be waiting. He would always wait for her. 

“Let me get changed really quick, then we can head out to breakfast. Flight leaves in about 3 hours, so we have plenty of time.” 

“Okay, yeah, sounds good. I’ll finish packing everything while you get ready.” She wanted to know if he would allow her the same openness of dressing before her as she did him. It was a silent assurance that they were indeed moving somewhere, she just wasn’t sure where. Her questions were answered as he dropped his towel to pull on his boxers, the shadow of a smile playing on his lips. Apparently this was something they did in front of each other now. The strangest part, it felt like the most comfortable, intimate gesture in the world. 

He waited as she went to finish getting ready in the bathroom, beginning to pack up the camera equipment. Another thought popped into his head, knowing Scully as well as he had hoped, she would watch these videos at least a few more times once they returned home. He opened up the camera, leaning in close as he set it on the dresser where the TV stood. 

“Hey Scully…” He whispered, glancing to the closed bathroom door to make sure she couldn’t hear him. “We’ve been together too long to know that you’re watching the videos again, just to ease your mind, or simply from blind curiosity. So I thought I’d slip in this little surprise. If I haven’t managed to mess up whatever this is between now and then, which let’s face it, is completely plausible, would you - uh, maybe consider letting me take you out to dinner this Saturday?” He paused as the water on the sink turned off, signaling that her exit was soon to to follow. He became antsy, needing to hurry up if this was all going to work. “If you agree, I’ll pick you up at 7. Just be ready, no need to discuss this before then. I’m hoping I see you then.” He quickly turned off the camera just as she was stepping out of the bathroom. He threw everything in the bag, and turned to ask if she was ready, stopping at her appearance. Her hair was still curled a little more naturally than usual, her face makeup minimal, only the mascara on her lashes and the color on her lips outlining her natural beauty. He loved her like this, and she knew it. She did it for him. Another silent welcoming into whatever direction they were moving in. 

“Everything ready to go?” She asked, surveying the room for any last minute things left behind. 

“Mhm, everything’s packed.” He led her outside, hand placed on the small of her back, the other carrying the bag that the threw in the trunk. 

Just as they settled inside the car, she turned to look at him, an eyebrow arching questioningly. 

“Hey, Mulder…” 

“Yeah, Scully?” 

Eyebrow arching higher, his eyes widened. Shit, he was caught. “What was the Frohike thing you weren’t supposed to mention?”


	4. The Transition

When they finally settled back into their regular lives, they both realized they missed the forced time together. Though, now it wasn’t forced, she just wanted him at her apartment. Her sheets still smelled like a combination of them both, and she let her mind wander to ways of making it stay that way. Smiling to herself as she unpacked her things, she had managed to steal one of his t-shirts, too. 

She shouldn’t have been surprised by the knock on her door only 2 hours after he dropped her off, but it still brought a smile to her face. As she moved to let him in, she paused, reaching behind her to unhook her bra, ditching it in her room. Whatever little steps she could take, she would. 

“Miss me already?” She teased, opening the door to see him standing there sheepishly. 

“I - uh, had stopped for something to eat, and thought you might be hungry, too.” He said quickly, mentally chastising himself for being this nervous. It was only Scully. Scully without a bra, he noticed as the thin sweater material moved over her bare breasts. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea, his pants getting tighter with every movement of her arms. 

“Thanks. I think I was so exhausted from everything, I didn’t even think about it.” She said dismissively, settling herself on the couch. He only hesitated for a moment before taking her silent invitation to stay and eat with her. 

“Well, at least now things should go back to normal.” He said nonchalantly, pausing at her raised eyebrow. “Well normal for us.” 

“Mulder, I don’t think normal is even in our vocabulary.” 

“It used to be in mine, until I got myself partnered up with you.” He grinned at her glare, both eyebrows rising to new lengths. He couldn’t hold in his laugh any longer, chuckling at her expression. 

“I’d start to question whether we switched places again, that’s more along the lines of something I should be saying.” 

“You wound me, Scully!” He feigned hurt by her words. 

“You’ve definitely put a mark on my reputation over the years.” The smirk began growing on her lips, only falling at the guilty expression bestowed on his face. “What?” 

“I may have done more for your reputation than you think…” 

“Mulder, what did -” 

“Before you get mad, just know that I couldn’t control myself. I’m a slave to my ego, and I had to take the opportunity to give me a few bonus points around the secretarial pool. I’ve been losing my cred there, Scully.” He pouted, though it won no sympathy from her. 

“Mulder.” 

“There may have been a group of women in the bathroom at work, talking about male agents and what they thought their...size was. Which I found all too fascinating, that women even talk about that as graphically as men do. Did you know that -” He paused at the unamused look on her face. “Right. Well, I waited in the stall long enough until they had worked their way through most agents, A-Z, and then they got to me. They were saying how you, well me at the time, but you, were lucky that you got to spend all your time with me. Then they started talking about my...size, and well…” 

“And well,  _ what _ , Mulder?” Her eyebrow was arched, lips pursed with her arms crossed over her chest. If he looked close enough, there was a hint of intrigue and playfulness in her eyes, but he chose to tread carefully anyway. 

“They got embarrassed when I walked out of the stall, and quickly tried to apologize. I didn’t say anything until I was leaving. And…” 

“ _ And? _ ” 

“All I said was ‘bigger,’ and walked out.” He said slowly, not meeting her eyes. He could feel her gaze burning into the side of him as he suddenly found the decor of her apartment all too interesting. 

The silence lingered and he dare not break it, letting this one turn over in her mind. He honestly couldn’t help himself in the moment, finding smaller perks along the way of their switch. That was definitely one of them at the time. He walked out of that bathroom feeling very proud of himself, finding it worked as he received several more suggestive glances his way. 

“Well at least now I know the truth to back up my supposed claims.” She finally said, causing his head to whip towards her with an impressed grin on his face. She attempted to mask the smirk appearing on her face as she took a sip of water, her teasing only shining through her eyes. 

“It’s nice to know you doubted that before.” He mock glared at her, causing her to sputter water into her glass. “So you’re not mad?” 

“Mulder, everyone at the bureau already thinks we’re...involved. I’m sure they think I know more than just the size of your -” She paused, glancing down at the slight bulge in his pants. The shift of her eyes turned him on, causing him to adjust uncomfortably, a whispered moan escaping his lips. “Anyway, I’m sure your comment was less of a surprise than you think.” 

“Do you gossip about me in the bathroom, Scully?” He leered at her. 

“Why do you think you lost your cred in the secretarial pool?” She teased back. He didn’t know what the switch did for their relationship, but he was absolutely thriving off this banter. She was more relaxed, flirtier than usual. He smiled, relishing in whatever this was. 

When he felt he had imposed on her time enough, he made a move to leave. They had enjoyed each other’s company, simply watching movies and talking. Something they didn’t indulge in enough. There was a shadow of disappointment that passed on her face when he announced that he should be heading out, a nervousness to her as she fidgeted with her hands and nodded. 

“You, uh - you can stay. It’s late.” She said with a small shrug, hoping to convey as much nonchalance as she could manage. 

“You’re inviting me to stay over on a school night, Scully? You little rebel.” He teased, a relieved huff of air escaping her lungs. He wanted to make the transition into whatever they were heading towards as smooth and comfortable for her as possible. If it were up to him, he’d jump all in, never looking back. 

“If it’s not too much of an inconvenience. You probably don’t even have work clothes with you.” She began to dismiss the idea, feeling foolish for not thinking of that. They worked tomorrow, and it was a last minute invite. Though to her credit, he did show up unannounced. 

“I have a bag in the car.” He said quickly, reassuring her that it was no bother at all. He’d wake up early if he had to, just to have this opportunity that she was giving him. She bit her lip, a smile playing on her mouth as she nodded. 

By the time he returned from his car, she had changed into her pajamas, which consisted of a tank top and flannel bottoms. After their nighttime routines, that they had become accustomed to performing together in the past few days, they settled into her bed on their normal sides. They both loved the fact that they even had a side of the bed, in a bed that was shared by them. 

“Hey, Scully…” He said suddenly as they were drifting off to sleep. She could tell something was on his mind by the way he was moving around her cautiously. He was nervous, that much she could sense. 

“Yeah?” Her back was facing him, tilting her head with the slightest gesture towards where he lay, on his back, staring at the ceiling. 

“Nothing, nevermind.” He let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t know what he wanted to ask her, feeling like an idiot. They had been together long enough for her to read his mind, turning to face him, silently answering the unasked question. They both were asking if this was okay, if they were really doing this. 

She scooted herself closer to him, her head resting just beside his shoulder, her hand creeping towards his bicep. Her fingertips brushed against his arm, causing him to turn towards her, meeting her eyes. They held each other’s gaze, their silent communication always their strongest suit. He moved his arm craftily up and around her as she moved into his embrace, like it was the most comfortable gesture in the world. Her head found its new resting place on his chest as her arm snaked across his torso. She inhaled his scent, cuddling in further and allowing herself to drift off to a comfortable sleep. He stayed awake for a few moments longer, smiling to himself that she was allowing him this small movement forward to whatever they were becoming. 

The next morning, she roused feeling relaxed, not nearly as annoyed as she normally was hearing the incessant ringing of her alarm clock. When she went to shut it off, there was a weight against her back, a warmth against her cheek. She only faltered for a moment before realizing where she was, and how she fell asleep last night. She bit back the smile on her lips, watching him sleep through the sound. She decided that she could definitely get used to this. 

She moved from under his arm that was wrapped around her waist, sitting up to turn off her alarm. He grunted in protest as the warmth of her body left his, pouting as he began to wake. She let out a breathy chuckle, finding him absolutely adorable as he chased her figure blindly, still groggy from slumber. 

“Let’s play hookie.” He mumbled into her pillow, still not opening his eyes. 

“I think we’ve played hookie enough the last few days.” 

“It’s not like we’re doing anything exciting anyway, Scully. Just more papers to sign and reports to fake.” 

“Please tell me you weren’t faking the reports when it was my name on the bottom of them.” He smiled at her tone of voice, the scoff escaping her lips told him she already knew the answer to that. 

Before she could open her mouth to scold him again, her phone rang, Mulder thankful for the interruption. She went to retrieve her phone from the living room, leaving him abandoned in her bed. He missed her as soon as she left his side, he knew he had it bad. When she reappeared in her room, there was an annoyed change to her demeanor. 

“Who’s calling with that good of news so early in the morning?” He asked lightly, trying to ease her mood. She scoffed as she began digging through her drawers for clothes. 

“My mother. She called to not so subtly remind me about Christmas plans.” He sat up a little straighter, knowing he had to coax this one out of her slowly, taking any hints along the way. 

“That...doesn’t sound so terrible…” He approached cautiously. 

“It wouldn’t be, if she would stop insisting that I should -” She paused, slamming her drawer. “Nothing, I’m sorry. Nevermind.” 

“Scully…” His voice was smooth, gentle, welcoming. She turned to see him, sitting there in her bed, sans shirt. His hair was doing funny things and his eyes were heavy with slumber. She let out a resigned sigh, moving to sit beside him on the bed. 

“She keeps reminding me that one of the single dads from church will be joining us this year. We usually have the neighborhood over to her house, but she’s been specifically persistent about her reminder for him.” She scoffed, already dreading her mother’s interference into her love life. 

“Oh.” He said after a long moment of silence. It was a tricky conversation, them moving towards something, though nothing official that either of them had admitted to. 

“Yeah…” She said carefully, seeing his face fall slightly into an expression of disappointment. The only person she would even entertain the idea about dating, was him. They both knew it, yet both cautious about moving forward. No one else ever really stood a chance. 

“Well, maybe you’ll have fun.” He said with a slight shrug, going to move from bed to get ready for their work day. She pouted, a shadow of dismay passing over her face. He paused, remembering his tape admission, asking her out on an official date. Perhaps he jumped the gun on that one, suddenly thinking of ways to steal her camcorder back. 

“...late, Mulder.” Her words broke him from his semi-panicked state of mind, coming back to his surroundings. 

“Sorry, what?” 

“We should get ready, or we are going to be late.” She said again, slowly. She furrowed her brow at the expression on his face. She knew his panic face when she saw it. 

“Right, yeah.” He nodded in agreement, looking for his bag to gather his things. She chose to let whatever was going through his mind go, for now. 

They chose to drive to work separately, him giving the explanation that he could just go home from there. The thought that he wouldn’t be staying with her caused her heart to drop slightly, but she knew it couldn’t last forever. 

Their work day passed uneventfully, working mixed in with the other agents, just didn’t muster up the same energy that being in the x-files did for them. She was adjusting better than him, he hated the monotonous paper pushing and pointless phone calls. 

There was something off about his mood, after their morning conversation. She couldn’t decipher what caused his shift in demeanor, but it’s almost as if he was avoiding her all day. He didn’t even ask if she wanted to join him for lunch. He wasn’t intentionally distancing himself, but the thought that perhaps she could be in a normal relationship with some fixed, suburban man who went to her mother’s church was running through his mind all day. Her words, about getting out of the car, making a reappearance in his subconscious. He would never hold her back from this, deny her of that opportunity. Now, he only needed to find a way to get her camcorder back, or hope that Saturday would come and go without a mention of it, without her watching it. 

“I think I’m going to call it a day, Scully.” He said as he stretched back in his seat. She looked up at him, giving him a tight-lipped smile and nodding. He let out a heavy sigh, knowing that her mood shift was most likely his fault. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She managed, not looking up from the report she was finishing. He secretly loved when she was in these stubborn moods, finding her absolutely adorable. 

“Have a good night, Scully.” 

She finally gave up on pretending to finish her reports, all the words began blending together with other things on her mind. Abandoning the paperwork, she solemnly made her way home, it feeling lonely without him there. She mentally scoffed to herself, it had only been a few days and she let her hopes run wild. 

Settling herself comfortably on her couch, tea in hand, her camera stared back at her on the coffee table in front of her. She bit her lip, reaching forward to play the tapes again. 

When Mulder appeared on her screen, it still amazed her that the switch even happened. Watching her mannerisms when he talked still caused an unease to run through her, remembering the awkwardness they first faced. A warmth spread through her as she watched herself appear on the screen, knowing what his words now were. Even alone, her cheeks began to tinge with color, blushing at his admission. She took the time to really appreciate his words now, watching intently. 

She sighed, knowing she should call him, apologize for being short with him when he left. As she reached for her phone, she was startled to see him appear on the screen again, wearing something different than she was when she made her video. Furrowing her brow and turning her full attention back to the tv, she turned up the volume. 

“ If you agree, I’ll pick you up at 7. Just be ready…” She gasped, not believing what she was watching. She honestly was questioning this more than the actual switch itself. She now realized that the prospect of her being set up on a date with someone caused discomfort with him, this being planned all along. 

She huffed out in astonishment, Mulder wanted to date her. The smile began to appear on her lips, feeling giddy. Only he would know her well enough to presume that she would indeed watch the videos again. Without thinking, she picked up her phone, pressing 1 on her speed dial. 

“Mulder.” He sounded tired, and she instantly realized that she didn’t have a valid reason to call. Not that she ever needed one. 

“Hey, it’s me.” 

“What’s up, Scully?” He asked cautiously, knowing she was in a mood when he left her at work. 

“Nothing, just - uh, watching tv.” He paused, her tone of voice had some underlying implications and he was instantly on alert. 

“Oh, anything good on?” She quickly began flipping through channels, smiling as she crossed an episode of something she knew he would find amusing. 

“Looks like there’s a Twilight Zone marathon on.”  

“Are you coming on to me?” He teased, the breathy laugh escaping her lips. 

“And what if I was?” God, he loved this. Whatever relationship transition they were making, slowly but surely, was his new favorite thing. 

“Oh, tell me more.” She laughed, before letting out a heavy sigh. 

“Mulder, I’m sorry, for earlier. I was - I don’t know.” 

“Don’t mention it, Scully.” She could hear his smile through the phone, the comforting tone of his voice. 

“I’ll let you get some sleep, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her voice was small, suddenly timid. 

“Somehow, I don’t think I’ll sleep as well as I have the past few days.” He admitted, causing the full smile to take over her face. “Goodnight, Scully.” 

“Goodnight, Mulder.” She clutched the phone to her chest, biting her lip and feeling the warmth creeping on her cheeks. It amazed her that he could make her feel the new relationship giddiness, even though they’ve unadmittedly been together for years. 

The next morning when she arrived to work, there was a coffee on her desk waiting for her, the smile on her face knowing who put it there. She situated herself in her seat, groaning as her stack of papers somehow grew overnight. 

“You shouldn’t just take drinks from strangers.” He whispered into her ear as she took a sip, sneaking up behind her. 

“Yeah, but this one was kind of cute.” Her eyebrow raised suggestively, the grin on her lips masked by her cup. He grinned back at her, their little exchange going unnoticed by most agents around them. 

He faltered for a moment, before speaking again, realizing that today was Friday, and his impromptu possible date would be the following night, if she even knew about it. He dared not ask, hoping to profile her for any hint of an answer. 

“So any plans for the weekend, Scully?” He asked casually. She paused in bringing the cup to her lips, eyebrow twitching slightly. 

“I’m having lunch with my mother after Sunday mass, but other than that, just some cleaning and errands.” She said dismissively. Neither of them were giving anything away, making this more challenging. “What about you?” 

“Nothing on my immediate radar.” She nodded, lips pursed as she processed his words. Her nonchalance was killing him, but he was the one at fault for suggesting they don’t bring it up. 

The rest of their day dragged on, filled with meetings and nonsense phone calls. When the end of the day approached, he was becoming antsy, finding things to distract his mind. She watched him carefully, knowing exactly which apprehensions were flowing through him. 

“I think, I am done.” She said as she slumped in her chair, pushing herself away from the desk. 

“You definitely accomplished more than me, you should feel proud.” He nodded towards the stack of finished reports on her desk. 

“Mulder, that’s just a normal day.” She teased, laughing at the mock glare he shot her. 

He walked her to her car, hand placed on her lower back, where they both felt it belonged. It was later than usual, the parking garage empty other than a few lingering cars. When they reached hers, he teetered on his feet, debating whether or not he should ask her on their date properly, in case she didn’t watch the video. He still couldn’t decipher whether she was playing coy because he asked, or she genuinely didn’t know. He was hoping for the former. 

She watched him with intrigue, seeing the nervousness of his energy. She found it absolutely endearing, that he would be this worried about her rejection. Smiling to herself and biting her lip, she glanced around to notice that they were indeed alone in their area of the parking structure. She cleared her throat, signaling for him to look up and meet her eyes, which he was clearly avoiding. 

Just as his eyes met hers, before he could process or ask what was happening, she was in his space. Her nose grazed his, lips lingering just before him. He could feel her breath on his mouth, and losing all inhibitions, he closed the gap between them. His hand snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him gingerly. 

It was a chaste kiss, a promise of what was to come. Simple, sweet...the perfect first kiss. When he pulled away, her eyes remained closed, basking in the moment. He smiled at the blissful look on her face, finding some small solace that he was able to put it there. She licked her lips, tasting him there, absorbing these new changes in their relationship. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” She said in a low voice, glancing up at him through her lashes with a playful gleam in her eyes. The smirk began appearing on her lips, causing him to huff out a laugh and shake his head. She watched the video, and now, they had a date. 


	5. The Date

Scully was nervous, she’s never been this nervous for a date before. She kept telling herself all Saturday afternoon that it was just Mulder, that they could do this one, simple task together. Mentally scoffing to herself, she thought of dating as a task for them.

Mulder told her absolutely nothing in regards to their evening, other than to dress comfortably. She had called him a good few times, making up simple excuses about the reasonings for her call. On her third phoning, she managed to muster up the courage to ask him about what to expect. It was between several stammered words, but she finally gave up and just asked.

“How do I need to dress, for tonight?” She let out a heavy sigh, her face contorting at how terrified she sounded. She could practically hear him smiling through the phone at her nervousness.

“Casual. I don’t have anything extravagant planned, so you might want to set your expectations a little lower.”

“I don’t know what to expect, if I’m being honest.” A breathy chuckle escaped her lips.

“I - don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing.”

“It’s just, different, for us.” She paused, letting the silence wash over them. He wanted to let her talk, let her come to terms on her own. “Good different.”

“Dress warm. I’ll see you in a bit.” He said, a smile plastered on his face. He was just as nervous as she was, wanting to make this perfect for her. For them.

He had arrived to her apartment about 15 minutes before he was supposed to pick her up, circling the block a few times before finally just parking. He knocked on her door just before 7, suddenly anxious about their date. He could hear her shuffling around on the other side, a smile on her face as she opened the door to him.

“Hey.”

“Hi.” She bit her lip, this was a neat little exchange. “Do you want to come in for a minute? Or do we need to be somewhere?”

“No, nowhere immediate.” He answered quickly, stepping inside, hands shoved into his pockets.

They settled themselves on her couch as she grabbed two glasses of water from the kitchen. When she joined him, handing him a cup, he took it with a goofy smile on his face.

She set her cup down on the table, plopping on the couch with a heavy sigh. He froze for a moment, thinking she was regretting this. She perked up when she noticed his panic face making an appearance, sitting upright to face him.

“We don’t have to do this.” He said quickly.

“No, I’m sorry. I just feel - weird.” A nervous chuckle escaped her lips.

“I can go. We can forget that I even asked, pretend I was abducted and I didn’t know what I was saying at the time.”

“Do you want to?”

“No, but I don’t know what to do here, Scully. I’m getting some mixed signals here.” He said with a nervous laugh.

She looked at him, really looked at him. She could see the doubt clouding his mind, about where they stood, relationship wise. She felt guilty, that she was causing this kind of apprehension. Leaning forward in one swift movement, she captured his lips. It was a chaste kiss, perhaps a little more forceful than she anticipated. His hand went to her hip, tilting his head to accept her embrace. Her tongue flickered against his lower lip, causing a moan of pleasure to hum from the back of his throat. She finally leaned back, sitting in her spot, licking her lips nervously. A coy smile appeared on her face as she finally met his eyes.

She let out a breathy chuckle, seeing him sitting there, dazed, with a goofy grin plastered on his face. He finally came to, after reveling in his moment of bliss from her sudden action. He understood now, that she was just nervous, too.

“I hope that’s enough of a clue for you.” She said in a low voice, suggestive of where whatever they were doing might be leading.

“Yeah, I think I’m catching on now.” His grin grew, loving this little shift in their relationship.

He led her to the car, still not giving any kind of response to her questioning about where they were going. Being winter in DC didn’t leave for many outside options, but it was a somewhat tolerable night. She tried watching where he was driving, and he knew it, so he took a few extra side streets before finally veering back onto the path of their destination. Her eyes lit up when they arrived, and she looked at him with wonderment in her gaze.

“Mulder…” She said in an astonished, breathy whisper.

“Someone told me about this, I figured you’d like it.” He said with a nonchalant shrug.

Her eyes veered back to the lights twinkling around them. There was a giant ice skating rink, and the decor was everything that screamed Christmas. As they walked towards the main center, she reached down, finding his hand and linking their fingers together. He didn’t look at her, just smiled as she leaned into him slightly.

They walked, hand in hand, through the illuminated courtyard - green, red and gold dancing around them. Her eyes sparkled as she absorbed the ambiance of the evening, her breath leaving its mark as she sighed blissfully in the cold, winter night. Completely mesmerized by her profile, losing any forethought, he leaned in to plant a chaste kiss on her lips. She was caught off guard by the sudden action, closing her eyes as she settled into his embrace.

When he pulled away, her eyes fluttered open, a shy smile appearing on her face. She could feel the flush of color on her cheeks, mixed with the cold weather, she knew they were redder than usual. He found it absolutely adorable. He kissed her cheek, inhaling her scent. She smelled of vanilla, and the hot chocolate that he bought for her.

“Thank you, for tonight. It was -” She paused, at a loss for how to explain their first official date. Sure, they had eaten hundreds of meals together, occasionally spent their weekends with one another, but this was different. This had thought behind it, and he was gentle and relaxed. “It was perfect.”

“You’re really setting the bar here for a second date, Scully. How am I supposed to top perfect?” He teased, attempting to lighten the mood, hoping to ease her nervousness, and his own.

“Is there...going to be a second date?”

“Well, I was hoping, but that was mostly going to depend on if I didn’t completely screw tonight up.” He huffed out a nervous laugh, catching her gaze just as she stepped in front of him.

She reached up to kiss him, more passion than behind the chaste, teasing kisses they’ve been embracing in. She needed him to know that she indeed did want this, given her apprehensions. He sighed into the kiss, relaxing in their unspoken sentiments. This small action was her way of telling him that she was okay with whatever transition they were going through in their relationship.

When she finally pulled back, breaking the spell, he flashed her a goofy grin. He was completely blissed out on the fact that he was now allowed to touch her in more ways than just a hand on her back. She bit her lip, a small chuckle escaping her mouth as she glanced upon his satisfied expression.

“So that’s a yes to a second date?” He teased, finally coming back from the clouds he felt like he was floating on.

“I don’t remember being asked.” Flirty Scully was a more teasing Scully than usual, and he loved it.

They eventually ended their evening, him leading her back to the car, holding her hand. It was earlier than she anticipated, and a sudden arousal flushed through her thinking about where this evening could eventually lead.

She didn’t know if she was ready for that kind of leap, though if she would admit to herself, after their shared shower experience, it’s been the only thing on her mind. It was a quiet ride back to her apartment as she took that time to contemplate what her next move was, their next move. She chewed on her lip, staring out the window. He knew this was her sure tell sign that she was processing something in her mind, perhaps overthinking. He began to worry, the extended silence only amplifying his doubt. He didn’t know how to break the quiet air as he pulled up to her apartment building. Before he could open his mouth, attempt to joke away the unease surrounding them, she began to speak.

“Do you want to come inside?” It sounded rushed, unsure of even her own words. He closed his mouth, nodding in acceptance. She was in charge here, though he had plenty of hopes for how this evening would end. She could see the panic settling into his features, the wariness of the situation shadowing his mind. “For coffee.” She added quickly, wanting to maintain a nonchalance about the situation.

She led him to the apartment that he’s had the pleasure to spend more time in recently, having no expectations from her invitation. Though he’d be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t hoping for something to happen tonight. He let out a heavy sigh, tonight was going to take a lot of restraint.

She began making coffee, inviting him to make himself comfortable on the couch. It was deja vu from when he first picked her up, the same nervousness settling around them. When she finally joined him, she felt ridiculous, the silence was murderous.

“We can, uh, watch a movie.” She flicked on her tv, eyes widening as the paused image of Mulder’s tape illuminated on her screen. Reflexively, she clicked the tv off, closing her eyes in embarrassment.

“How many times did you watch my tape, Scully?” He teased, the color rising to her cheeks. She groaned, covering her face, burying her head in her hands.

“I’m sorry.”

“I showed you mine, are you ever going to show me yours?” He tried to maintain the light nature of the situation, but he was genuinely interested.

“Mulder…”

“Come on, Scully. It can’t be that bad.”

She let out a heavy sigh, groaning again and throwing her head back on the couch. She stared straight ahead at the ceiling, he watched her carefully. Watched her eyes, seeing her contemplating allowing him to see her tapes. Another deep exhale, and she finally sat upright again, still not meeting his eyes.

“Fine.”

“Scully, I’m just teasing you don’t have to.” He said quickly, hearing the uncertainty in her voice.

“No, it’s only fair. I watched yours.” She nodded, more to herself than anything. She picked up the remote, unable to press play. “There’s nothing on there anyway.” He wanted to laugh, finding her embarrassment about what she said on her tape absolutely adorable.

“So then why don’t you want me to watch?”

“Because I -” She paused, taking a deep breath again. “I needed to convince myself that it was actually me talking, and the only way to do that was by telling myself something only I would know.”

“Scully you don’t have to -”

“I have a freckle, on the inside of my…” She paused, she couldn’t say it. He let the silence linger a short few moments longer before a grin began to tickle his lips. He couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Thigh.” Her head whipped towards him, mouth opening and closing as if she was going to say something. Her eyes widened, before realization hit and they narrowed.

“Mulder, how the hell did you know that?”

“Scully, I had to use the - the bathroom while we were switched. I may have noticed a few things about your body that I didn’t know were there before.”

“Yeah, but -”

“I also may have explored more than I originally said I did.” He said slowly, now not meeting her eyes, embarrassed at his admission.

“Define...explored.” Her tone of voice was angry, more filled with intrigue than anything else.

“I was curious if, you know, you were a natural redhead.”

“Mulder!” She yelled, swatting his arm. She let out a disbelieving chuckle as he laughed along with her. They both finally relaxed, letting the humor of the situation surround them.

“I’m sorry, it was a question that I’ve always wanted to know.” He said with a chuckle.

“You could have just...asked.” Her tone changed, it was more suggestive, lower.

“Yeah right, and get hit with some kind of sexual harassment charge.”

“Or I would have just shown you sooner.” She took a drink of her coffee, attempting to mask the smirk touching her lips. He smiled at her playfulness, loving whatever this transition was.

He nodded, turning his attention back to the empty screen of her television. She bit her lip, not knowing how to move past this point. She had allowed herself to relax and open herself up in ways she wasn’t normally used to, hoping he would catch on to her suggestive tone of the evening.

“I should get going, it’s getting late.” He said quietly, causing her brow to furrow. Had she not been clear about what she wanted? She turned to look at him, seeing the apprehensions on his face, and understood now. He was being cautious, letting her guide the evening. She wanted to slap him for being so sincere, knowing a lot of his worry came from his own self-doubt.

“You could...stay.” Her voice was quiet, though suggestive.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“Yes.” She turned his head, nudging it towards her with her index finger and thumb. He met her eyes, seeing the absolute certainty in her decision. He took the chance, leaning in to kiss her.

It started as a chaste kiss, testing their boundaries, in case this wasn’t what she was implying.

He had his answer as she pulled his head into the embrace further, leaning back as she brought him with her, laying on top of her on the couch. He finally caught on, basking in the moment as he broke from their kiss, looking down at her. She looked absolutely ethereal, her silky hair sprawled onto the pillow, her skin milky white. Her eyes were a blue he doesn’t remember ever seeing before, an expression in them he couldn’t quite read.

“What’s wrong?” She finally asked, brow furrowing at his dazed look. He brought himself back to the moment, shaken from his reverie.

“Nothing, I just can’t believe this is happening.” He admitted, causing the color to tinge her cheeks. She licked her lips nervously, reaching up to meet his mouth again.

They stayed in their position, testing, teasing for several more minutes. His hands wandered, exploring her body in ways he thought about doing while they were switched, but never would disrespect her. He pulled away, looking at her again, seeing every answer to every question he’s ever sought. She removed herself wordlessly from him, causing a million questions to run through his mind. He immediately went to worrying about her doubting what they were doing. He panicked, waiting for her next move, watching her carefully.

She stood, gathering the coffee cups and taking them to the kitchen, collecting her thoughts. She was sure about what she wanted to happen that night, needing to muster up enough courage to go through with it. When she walked back into the living room, she saw his panic face, and found it absolutely adorable that he was just as nervous as her.

“Mulder…” Her voice was low as she stood halfway between the living room and her bedroom. He was still sitting there, his hands resting on his thighs, as if he were scared to move.

“Huh?” He finally turned, shaking himself from his thoughts.

“Are you coming?” There was a flirtatious gleam in her eyes, the innuendo causing him to let out a breathy chuckle.

He stood, grasping onto her extended hand, following closely behind her into the room. Just as they reached the door, he leaned in close to her face, kissing the soft, sensitive spot on her neck before whispering in her ear.

“Well, not yet.” He couldn’t resist, the joke daring to escape his lips. She laughed a genuine laugh, turning to capture his lips with her own, leading him to the bed. They were both absolutely certain about where they wanted this evening to lead.

* * *

She laid curled into his side, their bare, sweaty skin touching. They both couldn’t believe they had been holding off for so long, depriving themselves of this, teasing their way there slowly. With a satisfied hum, she buried her head in the crook of his neck as he stroked her back with feather soft grazes, circling her tattoo with his index finger.

“Mulder, I’m inclined to believe that you did more exploring with my body while we were switched than you’re admitting to.”

“Scully, I’m just that good.” She leaned back, eyebrow arching at him questioningly. “Okay, maybe I let my, I mean your, fingers explore south on that first night in the motel.”

“I knew it! You little sneak, and here I thought you just really knew what you were doing.” She teased. He feigned hurt by her words, causing her to roll her eyes in response.

“You’re really doing great things for the ego here, Scully.” He said sarcastically, narrowing his eyes at her.

“You’ll get over it.” She said flat-toned. There had been another question bouncing around in her mind the last few days, not knowing how to bring up the idea to him. She bit her lip, and he could see that there was an unspoken question in her eyes before she shifted to lay on his chest again.

“Hey Mulder…”

“Yeah?”

“Would you, uh, want to go with me...to my mom’s for Christmas?”

He smiled, staring down at the top of her head. She was avoiding his eyes, her voice small. He twisted his neck to kiss her forehead, causing her to look up and meet his gaze. She could see a warmth, a gentleness in his hazel eyes that made her heart swell. He leaned down to kiss her, their lips now gliding together like it was the most comfortable gesture in the world between them.

“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” She seemed satisfied with that response, pecking him on the lips again before resting her head on his bare chest. This was her favorite place to be.

“Hey Scully?” He could feel her drifting off, her breathing becoming slow and steady.

“Mm?”

“How do you feel about haunted houses?”


End file.
